Garden 2011 no 11

This bizarre weather pattern has its advantages, we’ve had torrential rain followed by periods of tropical heat, maybe we are moving toward tropical rain forest climate…….. but, the garden’s looking good on it.
Out of no where, I have bright purple wild geraniums, they must have self seeded. I didn’t notice them before because they blend in so well with what was already there, but I’m certain they weren’t there a couple of days ago and I know I didn’t plant them, so they must be self seeded.

At last some of my strawberries are beginning to ripen, I’ve had to wait a while longer than some people because mine are all outdoors. The green house ones always ripen earlier but mine should have a good strong taste. I never get very many at once so what I tend to do is pick and freeze, then once I have enough I can use them.

My pond is looking more and more like a wild life pond every day. I am resisting the temptation to take water out and put in fresh water in an attempt to get rid of the green water because every one tells me wild life ponds need to be left alone. Also, tap water actually encourages green water because it has something in it that algae feed off. The wild life doesn’t mind green water and the algae gives them all something to eat. I thought my tadpoles had died but now I’m beginning to see them more often. Some were like tiny frogs, they lost their tails and grew little legs but I never see them now. I hope they hopped away and are safe. The only ones I do see are the giant tadpoles that get bigger and bigger without growing legs. They have started to hang around the top of the pond sunbathing. If you wonder what that strange thing in the corner of the pond is, it’s a mini bale of barley straw, apparently a natural way to help combat green water in ponds.

My little pond doubles as a de-lux bird bath, guess this could be where some of my tadpoles have disappeared too. The birds tend to use the same end that the tadpoles sunbath in. I thought it was because of the little fountain there, but I suppose it could also be because the birds can get a tasty snack while stopping off for a drink and quick splash.
And that brings me on the Fence……………..its FINISHED !!!

It took a while but its finished at last. My daughter came round on Monday and we had a couple of really good days at the start of the week. While she was here we dig the holes, mixed the cement, put the last panel in and then topped up all the post holes with as much cement as we could. It all dried over night and the following day my grandson helped me to paint the bottom of the fence.

The idea was to paint from where the cement finished to above where the soil was going. The following day, when the fence paint was dry, I spent the day shovelling top soil back into place and planting the huge bag of bulbs I salvaged from my other daughters garden a while back. Since then it has rained heavily, which is OK in that every thing is well watered in, but it also washed away some of the top soil and exposed the bulbs so now I guess I’ll have to go get compost and make sure every thing is covered and safe. BUT………….the main thing is my fence is finished, all I have to do is make sure it all gets painted before the winter really sets in.

 

Been a very busy bee recently !!

Been a very busy bee recently

We have had some very good weather recently and consequently I’ve managed to make a little progress on some of my garden projects. I still haven’t bought a new camera, so yet again these pictures are poor quality mobile phone pictures…….oh how I miss my camera.

Remember the pile of rubble I was left with after having my garden shed door moved??

I seem to remember Diana saying I could make it into a rockery. Well……………..I managed to ‘hide’ most of it and what was left, will indeed make a very nice neat corner rockery, thank you Diana.

Remember the complete bathroom I had dumped in my garden by well meaning and thoughtful daughters??

They intended to remove my green bath, toilet and sink and replace them with the cream ones.

The well meaning and thoughtful daughters never did plumb in the new cream bathroom and it has sat in my garden ever since. The bath became scratched and the grandchildren were getting very fed up with it being in their way in the garden. I decided to keep my aged but serviceable green bathroom and hired a little man to dig a hole and ‘plant’ the other bath that was sitting in the garden. This time next year this bath will be my wild life pond, we will have frogs and toads and dragon flies and lilly pads!!

 The earth from the hole was used for the new rockery and, once the bath was out of the way I moved the toilet and cistern and filled them with more of the earth from the hole. They are now ready and waiting for their plants.

The sink and pedestal will stay where they are until I paint the shed wall, then they will be fixed to the (newly painted) shed wall and be full of hanging plants………….it will look lovely I’m sure.

Painting all fences, gates, walls and generally anything that doesn’t have plants in it, is my summer vacation task.

The rest of the garden doesn't look too bad at the moment and I'll have the whole of the summer holidays to play in it and make it even more beautiful.